Of Blond Hair and Blue Eyes
by Lady Elocin
Summary: A night of passion turns into a life-long confusion. The story of two stubborn idiots wherein they learn that love and ambition come with a lot of pain and sacrifices. ZoSan. Yaoi. Mpreg. And YES, a lot of Sanji and Zoro drama.
1. Chapter 1: The Marimo & The Cook

This story has been deleted on FFN. You can read the full story as well as the sequel on **Archiveofourown** _dot_ **org**.


	2. Chapter 2: Burnt

This chapter has been deleted.


	3. Chapter 3: That Night

This chapter has been deleted.


	4. Chapter 4: Zoro's Answer

This chapter has been deleted.


	5. Chapter 5: Dilemma

This chapter has been deleted.


	6. Chapter 6: Shitty Situation

This chapter has been deleted.


	7. Chapter 7: Turmoil

This chapter has been deleted.


	8. Chapter 8: Determination

This chapter has been deleted.


	9. Chapter 9: Sanji's Resolve

This chapter has been deleted.


	10. Chapter 10: Forgotten Memories

This chapter has been deleted.


	11. Chapter 11: Roronoa

This chapter has been deleted.


	12. Chapter 12: A Gaze Worth A Million Words

**Art for this chapter is posted in my tumblr! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: A Gaze Worth A Million Words**

"Sanji! I need five more trays of croissant!"

"Coming right up!" The blond wore his pot holders and opened the large oven placed against the wall of the small baking area, intoxicating his nostrils with the rich aroma of freshly-baked bread. He took five trays and immediately handed them to Vallo through the rectangular opening on the opposite wall.

"You wanna catch a break first? I can handle the rest," Vallo offered, his body bent low to eye Sanji through the opening.

The blond nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I could use a stick."

With a nod, Vallo took the trays and put the crescent-shaped rolls in the bread baskets. The bakery shop had become considerably busy dating a few years back when Sanji decided to help Vallo and Sora with their business. He came up with different ideas and types of bread to attract customers. Sanji was unsure at first because he was a culinary chef, not a pastry one, but Vallo said that his products were _heavenly_ and instantly put them in the shelves.

His bread became a hit though, magnetizing customers in West Town and even from the farthest corner of East Town. Some travelled from the neighboring town just to buy his masterpiece. With a sense of pride, Sanji dusted off the flour from his apron before taking it off. After the blond went out through the backdoor, he snatched a stick from his pack of cigarettes inside his pants. Sanji flicked his lighter and the flame met the mouth of his cigarette.

Sanji inhaled a lungful, feeling the drag of smoke coursing through his veins and ending up as thick swirls in the air. Whenever his mind drifted to those nine painful months of abstinence, he could only pat his shoulder for the fucking job well done. God, he felt that it was like nine months of _starvation._ His fingers fidgeted on any material that was rod-like, wishing for a second that it was a stick of cigarette.

Sanji stared up at the afternoon sky, the sunlight slightly blinding his vision but the blues were so comforting, relaxing even. "Been almost four years, huh?" he spoke mindlessly and took another drag of his cigarette.

He wondered how his nakama were. He had a full drawer of old newspaper clippings about his nakama's adventures–the tales of bravery, defiance against the marines, conflicts with other pirate groups and the big war with Kaido. It had been ten months since he had last written to the crew and five months since their last letter to him. The post office in Bartero shut down because of reasons that Sanji wouldn't want to know for he could kick the asses of the perpetrators.

He was thinking of going to another island with an operational post office just to send his letters – which had been quite piled up in his table drawer – but he couldn't actually go anywhere outside this island. He was _hiding_ , sort of. Not that much compared to the time when he was pregnant, but he was still a _pirate_. A notorious one at that.

That was the very reason why he couldn't establish his own restaurant in this island. If he was lucky enough and his business got popular, without his crew, he didn't know if he could handle a few warships of marines. He could kick their asses, of course. But he had other people to worry about now. Being the pastry chef of Vallo's bakery was good enough. He was able to make a living, bring happiness to his customers and retain his inconspicuous existence. It wasn't a bad call at all.

A few newspaper articles covered "Black Leg Sanji's Disappearance" in the Strawhat crew. Some stated that he was dead, caught a rare illness, or even other stupid speculations that would make the blond laugh in hysteria. But the end point was that he had _'disappeared.'_ And that many people thought that he was dead except for his nakama, Vallo and Sora.

He hadn't had any news about the crew for the past five months. Maybe, they were lying low? Planning for their next attack with Law? The war with Kaido dragged on for a few years and Sanji didn't have any idea what happened to the crew or if they had already defeated the monstrous beast. He was so goddamn worried.

Sanji shifted in his feet, a few locks of golden hair dropping across the bridge of his nose and his long lashes fluttering at the smoke from his cigarette. Sanji examined the soft tips of his tresses with his thumb and forefinger. He needed to have a haircut. His blonds were already starting to curl around his jaw and neck. His bangs were also longer and he was beginning to grow freaking stubble.

He shaved his mustache and goatee. He wanted to have a 'clean look' and there were actually no beautiful and sexy women around to impress so he went along with the idea. The West Town was composed mainly of the elderly and middle-aged or young men. The town had been kind of progressive in the past years, but it was still less developed if compared to the one in the east.

Sanji drew lazy circles on the coarse soil with his foot as he finished his cigarette. The point of his shoe uprooted a tiny bunch of grass which made Sanji chuckle a little. The grass was green, just like the head of someone he knew. Suddenly, that numbing sensation crawled inside his chest again. He stared longingly at the poor grass with half-lidded eyes.

Was the marimo okay? How was he? A newspaper article talked about his encounter with one of Kaido's men, with the guy named 'Jack.' The freaking guy was a _huge_ mammoth – a rare type of Zoan ability user. Sanji was fucking worried about the events of the fight. He was positive that Zoro wouldn't lose, he trusted the bastard that much, but he always had this tinge of fear inside him, of Zoro losing and dying without Sanji by his side to yell at him, kick his ass for being a loser, revive him from the dead just so he could kick his ass again.

He didn't know what happened after that because the news about the crew had been scarce, or _none_ for that matter. Sanji could swear that he could crack a mountain because of frustration.

"Sanji?"

The blond looked at the brown-haired man standing on the doorway. "Sorry. I need some help. There are ten additional people who are inside the shop now and they've been bugging me about your special cheese roll. Can you make them?" Vallo said with an irritated sigh.

Sanji laughed. "Sure. I've got enough supplies for two more trays."

Vallo smiled apologetically, but Sanji just assured the man it was okay. Willingly, the blond killed the butt of his cigarette under his sole and followed the man inside the baking area.

* * *

The port of the island was packed with cargo ships and mercenary vessels. Conversations about tobacco, china, crops, prices and probably a bunch of illicit goods aired around the port area and in the marketplace.

His head roamed around the place, noticing that it hadn't significantly changed since the last time he had visited here. Stone still ran everywhere and making up the majority of the island–the roads, stalls, buildings, commercial centers and even residential houses.

"Oi, Zoro. Do you think he's still here? I mean, what if he went to another island?"

It was possible. But Zoro didn't have a choice. Their trump card was only an eternal pose to this island because he _lost_ that fucking vivre card in a fight! He kept that piece of paper _close_ to him _every time_ and he was actually regretting that he hadn't listened to their navigator's advice of leaving the paper in their ship. Well, fuck. He would find _him_ no matter what anyway. So no shit.

The green-haired man continued to walk nonchalantly. He propped his right arm on the hilt of his three swords dangling beside his hip, tucked under the comfort of his black waistband. He turned around a corner, the popped collar of his long black coat brushing along his jaw due to the motion. His dark boots thudded along wet stone floors as he ascended towards the deeper part of the district.

"Oh come on!" His companion heaved a defeated sigh and blocked his way, arms spanning to both sides of his body. "Where are you going?"

"Shut up, Usopp. I'm going to have a drink," the swordsman spoke with a frown.

The sharpshooter scratched his head. "The bars are _that_ way!" His finger pointed on the road that they were traversing earlier. "We are walking _along_ the bar district! How can you miss that?"

Zoro's eyebrows twitched, a faint blush of embarrassment tainting both of his cheeks. "Shut up! It's not my fault that this place is so confusing!"

"The bar district is a _straight_ line!" Usopp exclaimed in disbelief. He sighed and shook his head, massaging his temple as his mind tried to comprehend the stupidity of his nakama. "You know what? I can't believe that I'm still fussing about your terrible sense of direction after all these _years_. You're right. Let's have a drink. The bar is actually a good place for gossips and good information. We might find something useful there."

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest and grunted as he followed the long-nosed guy. He didn't get lost! It was this place's fault! Why did it have to have so many corners and alleys? Zoro was perfectly _fine_ with his sense of direction.

The two passed a few bars and gambling houses. The sharpshooter kept a close distance to him which made Zoro huff a bit. He wasn't a fucking kid!

"Okay. Let's go here." Usopp ducked under a heavy mantle with gold and silver design. Zoro did as well and tracked Usopp inside the bar, walking down a few flight of wooden stairs. The two entered the swing door and were greeted with loud snickers and bashing of beer mugs. This was a pirate bar, like the one Zoro had visited a few years ago.

The two men settled down on the bar counter. With a practiced voice, Usopp beckoned for the bartender and immediately ordered two mugs of beer for the both of them. The bulky bald guy grunted in approval, popping up a new barrel and filling their mugs. After a while, the bartender shoved them their order but when he was about to leave, Usopp spoke.

"Hey, man," Usopp said confidently with a grin on his face but Zoro knew that the long-nose was trembling his shit right now. "Do you know a guy named ' _Sanji_ '?"

The man cocked his eyebrow at the sharpshooter and Zoro could swear that he just saw a drop of sweat gliding down his nakama's neck. "You here for information?" the bald man asked. But when Usopp nodded, the man exploded in his fits of laughter which made Usopp tremble a bit more and Zoro frown in annoyance.

The bartender wiped a tear under his eye. "You think that's free, kiddo? What'cha got there so my tongue will be ol'-goodie to 'ya?"

Zoro's hand gripped the hilt of his Wado slowly but Usopp immediately stopped him with a hand, clasping his wrist under the bar counter. "We got a thousand berries. For some sweet sake for your tongue, 'ya know what I'm saying?" Usopp smiled at the man, and Zoro was almost amazed of his skills if it weren't for his trembling hand on his wrist. Seeing that his nakama would handle the situation better than him, he took his beer mug on the counter and chugged the bitter liquid down his throat.

With an amused cock of an eyebrow, the man leaned down his beefy tattooed arm on the bar counter, supporting the heavy weight of his body. "What'cha wanna know, kid?"

The sharpshooter seemed to relax at that and retracted his hand from Zoro's wrist. Usopp scooted closer on the counter, clasping his hands on top of the wood and eyeing the man seriously. "Like I've said, you know a man named 'Sanji'?"

"The missing Strawhat pirate?" the bald man asked as Usopp nodded. "I know the name, but he wasn't around in the island. However, a few of my good tippers said that they saw a blond man with a curly brow on the neighboring island a few months ago."

Usopp felt Zoro tensed beside him. He glanced at the green-haired man for a bit and saw a solemn look on his face, his beer halfway done and forgotten on the counter. Usopp turned to the bald man to ask, "What's the name of the island?"

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Those good tipper bastards are working in this cargo ship that goes here once a month before. But recently, there's another passenger vessel that comes to the island and the neighboring ones to haul passengers, so their sideline business wasn't going well anymore–"

"Just tell the fucking island's name."

The bartender's eyes landed on the man beside Usopp. Zoro was looking so deadly serious with that glare on his eye. Usopp almost buckled in anxiety at Zoro's harsh attitude. The bald man regarded his presence for a moment, locking gazes with the swordsman who was crossing his arms over his chest and foot tapping the floorboards impatiently.

"'Yar quite impatient there, kid," the bartender spoke with a menacing grin.

Zoro's eyebrows knotted tighter and he opened his mouth to say something but Usopp immediately cut him off. "Sorry, man!" He laughed nervously. "My friend's rude, you see. He's always like this."

"Ah?!" Zoro said irritatedly but Usopp shot him a pointed look saying _'Please shut up for a moment and let me handle this so we're out of trouble.'_

Reading the atmosphere well, Zoro just grunted and rolled his eye, which caused Usopp to sigh internally with relief. "So," Usopp started. "What's the name of the island?"

The bulky bald man stared at him intently, and Usopp felt his neck dampening with sweat. However, he remained that interested face in front of the man. With a sigh, the bald man bowed his head down towards Usopp. "The name's Banaru. But I'm telling 'ya, kid. Don't do something stupid. There's been a disturbance in the black market a few days now. 'Ya don't wanna get tangled with anything dangerous, yeah?"

Usopp swallowed anxiously at the man's words. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for the tip." Usopp dropped a thousand berries on the bar counter and promptly held Zoro's arm to drag him out of the place.

"Oi! Let me go, idiot!" Zoro pulled his arm harshly from the sharpshooter's hand when they were already outside the bar. "What's wrong with you?"

Usopp started to look around with panic reflected on his face. "I'm getting my chronic illness of _'Let's-get-out-of-this-island Disease.'_ "

Zoro rolled his eye heavenward at his nakama's stupidity. "You've been facing Kaido's crew for a few years now and you're scared of a bunch of jackass-wannabes?"

"That's not the point! Ugh!" Usopp turned his back to Zoro and messed his hair with both hands. "I don't get why you, Luffy and Sanji are able to remain calm in situations like this," he mumbled, and after his fit, he turned around to look at Zoro who was standing behind him with a deadpan expression on his face. Once again, the sharpshooter sighed. "Let's go to the port and catch a passenger vessel towards this 'Banaru Island' the man's talking about."

Usopp flipped his body and took a step forward. However, he stumbled at the obstruction in his path and he almost wrestled it down to the ground. "Whoa!" Usopp exclaimed shockingly as his hands steadied the little kid's shoulders. "Are you alright–"

A moment of silence dawned on the sharpshooter. Zoro shuffled on his feet impatiently as he watched his nakama frozen in his spot, looking down at god-knows-what. "Oi, Usopp." The swordsman placed his hand on top of the hilt of his swords and sauntered towards his companion. "What are you doing?"

Zoro's good eye landed on the small cloaked figure in front of Usopp. The little kid's wide eyes were staring at his nakama's face, his small mouth hanging open innocently. And for a second, Zoro found himself lost in a daze just like his nakama.

He tried to perceive the kid's features, those deep blue eyes and _those_ remarkably asymmetrical eyebrows curling to one direction. Zoro's heart thundered in his chest, and a certain emotion rose inside him like lava. No, it couldn't be. The boy had _green_ hair. The one he knew with a stupid face like that was an annoying _blond_. Maybe there were other people with those weird genes. Maybe the cook wasn't the only one…

"What's your… _name_ , kid?" Usopp asked in strained and silent voice. Shock was written all over his face. And Zoro was quite sure that he was mirroring the sharpshooter's expression right now.

The kid stared at him for a moment before opening his mouth wider to speak. " _Kaitarou_ …"

His wide blue eyes landed on Zoro and the swordsman almost jolted in place because of that gaze. The other kids were afraid of him because of his natural scowl, but this kid's different. He wasn't about to flee, he was _looking_ at him like he had seen Zoro before and had been familiar with him for a long time.

The swordsman felt a pool of emotion inside his chest, like a _magnet_ that was strangely pulling the child towards him. His palms moistened with sweat and his throat constricted. And when the kid spoke again with that soft little voice, Zoro felt his whole world banged on his feet and every bit of his rationality blown away.

"Name…" the child said softly as he held Zoro's gray eye. " _Roronoa Kaitarou_."

-TBC

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi! I have my tumblr account now. :D It's new so it's still a bit empty but I blog about my stories and reblog some ZoSan stuff. I have also fanarts available there so you can check them out. The tumblr name's **lady-elocin**. :)


	13. Chapter 13: Warmth

This chapter has been deleted.


	14. Chapter 14: Silently, I Broke

This chapter has been deleted.


	15. Chapter 15: Tall Boundaries

This chapter has been deleted.


	16. Chapter 16: Tears For A Lifetime

This chapter has been deleted.


	17. Chapter 17: For Him And For You

This chapter has been deleted.


	18. Chapter 18: The Gap Between

This chapter has been deleted.


	19. Chapter 19: Closer

This chapter has been deleted.


	20. Chapter 20: What Matters Most

This chapter has been deleted.


	21. Chapter 21: First Time

This chapter has been deleted.


	22. Chapter 22: Letter and Invitation

This chapter has been deleted.


	23. Chapter 23: All Blue, The Big Sea

This chapter has been deleted.


	24. Chapter 24: The Games You Play

This chapter has been deleted.


	25. Chapter 25: Connection

This chapter has been deleted.


	26. Chapter 26: Diversion

This chapter has been deleted.


	27. Chapter 27: As They Came

This chapter has been deleted.


	28. Chapter 28: Past, Present And Future

This chapter has been deleted.


	29. Chapter 29: Feelings

This chapter has been deleted.


	30. Chapter 30: Things That Must Be Said

This chapter has been deleted.


	31. Chapter 31: Too Much

This chapter has been deleted.


	32. Chapter 32: Hands

This chapter has been deleted.


	33. Chapter 33: Wildfire

This chapter has been deleted.


	34. Chapter 34: The Culprit

This chapter has been deleted.


	35. Chapter 35: Everything All At Once

This chapter has been deleted.


	36. Chapter 36: Pain And Comfort

This chapter has been deleted.


	37. Chapter 37: Father And Son

This chapter has been deleted.


	38. Chapter 38: Two Thousand Men's Worth

This chapter has been deleted.


	39. Chapter 39: Crimson Eyes

This chapter has been deleted.


	40. A Note For Beloved Readers

This has been posted on my Tumblr but I'm posting it here as well.

* * *

 **ZoSan Fanfiction Writers**

We all know that the canon story is lacking greatly of ZoSan content for quite some time now and that's probably the reason why fics have been dwindling lately. But I'm still proud of those writers who've been writing, not only wonderful one-shots, but also those awesome multi-chaptered fics which keep the fandom going.

Just like the amazing artworks, fanfics also provide a strong backbone for the fandom. It's a necessary masterpiece to keep a fandom intact, interesting and fluorishing.

 **The thing is, there has been a grave lack of feedback from the fandom for fanfiction writers.**

We write because we love the fandom and also because we love what we do. We're not like traditional published authors who still get paid even if the readers don't talk about their work.

 **If our readers don't respond to our fic, we get nothing.**

All we get is _frustration_ and _self-doubt_ that maybe we're not doing a great job, or perhaps people are not interested in the fics that we pour our hearts into. We make stories that can take up to days or weeks to update and months or even years to finish. We think about the plot carefully, outline necessary events, highlight emotions and bring it to you in such a way that will make you look forward and thirsty for more.

The lack of feedback is quite disheartening and it takes away our inspiration and motivation to write.

 **We're not whiny if we encourage people to respond to our fics. It's because our readers' words are our** _**lifeblood**_ **— the fuel for our passionate souls.**

Writers paint an entire world with words. They can take you to wonderland, to another dimension, to the highest point in the sky, to the deepest part of the ocean or even to another world that's beyond your imagination.

Fanfiction writers make a pairing possible even if the canon story tells them otherwise. They shower love and infinite possibilities to the fandom with all the amazing ideas that they have. Dragons. Kingdoms. AUs. Magic. It doesn't matter. They can give all that to you.

 **So please, dear readers, respond to fics.**

Don't let your favorite authors fizzle out and lose their confidence in sharing what they have to offer.

Explore our works. Engage with us. We don't only want to hear "I like this" from you.

We want to know what you like. What piqued your interest. What made you mad. What made you smile. What made you laugh. What made you cry. What made you think. What made you stay up late at night.

Why don't we settle down for a cup of tea and talk about about the things in the fic which made you fall in love? :)

* * *

(This post is in support to fanfiction writers in the fandom.)


	41. Chapter 40: Tonight, I Surrender

This chapter has been deleted.


	42. Chapter 41: To The West Side

This chapter has been deleted.


	43. Chapter 42: Sensibilities

This chapter has been deleted.


	44. Epilogue

This chapter has been deleted.


	45. Announcement

This story has been deleted on FFN. You can read the full story as well as the sequel on **Archiveofourown** _dot_ **org**.


End file.
